Search

Within the past week, LinkedIn has rolled out a whole new menu system, and changed the way you can use the site for your job hunt. I’ll be covering this and more in my presentation, “THE NEW LINKEDIN”, sponsored by Career Transitions of Greater Boston,

HERE IS JUST PART OF WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: • Why you should build your online network, and how to do it • How to use your network to help you get your next job • How to create an effective, compelling profile • The value of recommendations and endorsements • How to use LinkedIn to research opportunities and stay up-to-date in your field • How to identify and be seen by the thought leaders in your industry • How to use LinkedIn groups to multiply your networking efforts, and make you “findable” by the right people

Whether you are a LinkedIn neophyte or veteran, come learn about the new LI interface and how you can use it to further your job hunting success. I hope to see you!

The film Lincoln is getting rave reviews because it tells a great story in an engaging way. And, it reminds us that the 16th president was most effective at convincing someone to take his side when he was able, without hesitation, to reach into his past and relate a story to the current moment. If you are a job hunter, there are several important lessons you can learn from this movie to aid you in your search.

Have you noticed the zillions are articles written about the virtues of LinkedIn and necessity of you getting on board in order to have a successful job hunt? Social media permeates our society, and LinkedIn has become the most fertile hunting ground for talent for recruiters and businesses of all sizes. The buzz about LinkedIn does point to something real, but it often doesn’t clarify, beyond “help you get a job” the three basic ways this business social media site can help you do just that.

Put in simplest terms, you should use LinkedIn in such a way as to:

Make you findable by companies and recruiters looking for someone with your talents and experience;

Enable you to find employment opportunities worth pursuing; and

Help you learn what you need to know about the “latest and greatest” in your field, about companies you want to work for and the people who already work there, especially including the people you want to hire you… and much, much more.

As a savvy job hunter, it is critically important for you to continually research potential employers for two reasons:

1. You can tailor your cover letter and interview performance to demonstrate that you care about the company, and have given serious thought to ways in which you can contribute to it.

2. You can make an educated decision about whether the job you’re applying for is an excellent fit for your experience, skills, personality, and long-term aspirations. Before you make a commitment, your eyes should be open wide to both the challenges and opportunities that come with the job.

In my article on USNews & World Report this week I give concrete examples of how to go about researching potential employers, and what to look for when determining if a given job or employer is a good fit for your career aspirations. Here’s the link:

Recruiters are often called “headhunters” because they constantly seek out passive job candidates for their highly selective corporate clients. LinkedIn has become the prime hunting ground recruiters frequent because it’s target rich in quality people who are there for purposes other than getting a new job.

By understanding the methods recruiters utilize in their hunt, you can position yourself as the talented passive candidate they covet rather than a desperate job seeker who craves their attention.

In my column published today on USNews & World Report I explain four techniques that recruiters use on LinkedIn, and provide tips about how you can exploit each of them for your job hunt. Please check it out, give it a “like” or write your own comment.

Play The “Happy Game”. Don’t deal with depression, frustration or other emotions. Don’t cultivate a support network to which you actually can go to for support. And if you already happen to have a support network, don’t let them know how they can help you… make ‘em guess.

Channel the St. Louis Rams with their .125 Win percentage this past season. Have as few goals as possible.

Become One With Your Laptop. Spend the majority of your time at home, behind the screen.

Nurture Your Inner Child. Be helpless. Focus on yourself and your own needs – don’t worry about what any perspective employer would want from you.Do the bare minimum to get by.

Become An “Island”. Avoid meeting people. Don’t even think about going to a networking meeting where you don’t already know someone.

Discount Your Contacts – Even Better, Annoy Them! Don’t bother to follow-up every lead that someone gives you. Don’t bother to write thank you notes to people who help you. After all, you are entitled to all the help someone can give to you, right?!

Avoid Non-Traditional Paths. Pass up contract and temp work, and don’t even think about just taking on a project to keep you skills up to date.

Talk Until They Drop. Don’t bother to listen to what people are asking you – just hammer away at your own canned message. Be as vague and ambiguous as possible – that way no one can pin you down to anything specific.

Believe In Your Heart That Your Next Job Is Forever. Stop networking as soon as you land.

I’ve seen various forms of this list floating around on the internet, but I don’t know the original authorship. I have added some of my own comments throughout.

If any of these suggestions are ways that you are actually conducting your jobhunt, you need a jobhunter coach! If you mention this article when you sign up for three hours of my coaching service between today and March 31, 2012 I’ll throw in a 4th hour absolutely free! This offer is valid for new clients only.

LinkedIn is a great medium for building and expanding relationships. As you expand your connections, it is important to communicate in a personal

way with people when you invite to LinkUp. The building of effective, worthwhile networks requires personalized, thoughtful communication.

While it may make perfect sense to you why you should link up with someone, you need to help that other person come to the same conclusion rather than assuming that they will do so on their own. No matter what your relationship is with the person you are contacting, even if you have never spoken with him, it is critically important to personalize your invitation! When you only utilize the default message, “I’d like to add you to my LinkedIn network”, you don’t motivate your new connection to assist you.

Keep in mind that often people are known by a much larger audience than they can possibly know themselves. For example, as one who frequently speaks before groups of all sizes, I’m known to many people. The reality of these asymmetric encounters is that I rarely remember the individuals in attendance as well as they remember me. When your hoped for new connection doesn’t recognize you, he/she is more likely to ignore your invite. Worse, they might hit the “spam” button. That is really bad for you, because if three people respond to your invites this way, your LinkedIn account privileges will likely be suspended. Once that happens, I can guarantee you it is a royal hassle to get them back!

You don’t need to write a long letter in an invite… just a couple sentences will do wonders! Be sure to personalize each invite by including:

How you know/found the person the person you are inviting. Convey something uniquely personal

Why you want to linkup with him/her

Your offer of reciprocity

Invitations with these simple points help to remind the person who you are. They can serve as a great follow up to a first meeting, or a reminder/rekindling of a dormant relationship. Instead of a person seeing your invite and saying to himself, “I wonder what he wants now?” he can think: “How great it is that [your name here] followed up with me!” Or, perhaps: “It’s great to hear from [your name here] after such a long time!”

Here are four samples of LinkedIn invite templates that you can tailor to your situation:

• XXX, great to see you at the XYZ event last night! As a follow-up to our conversation about widgets, I would love to linkup with you in order to further explore [insert areas of common interest]. This is a way in which we can both expand our professional networks. Of course, if there is anything that I can do for you by way of introducing you to any of my contacts, do feel free to reach out to me! Thanks in advance for accepting this invite.

YOUR NAME

• XXX, although we’ve not met, I read the article you wrote, [insert title and where it was published]. I appreciate the insights you shared because [fill in the blank]. You indicated that you would be happy to linkup with readers, and I would like to take you up on that. Of course, if there is any way that I can help you in return, please do reach out to me. Thanks again for sharing your expertise on [fill in the topic]!

Best,

YOUR NAME

• XXX, as you may recall, we did some business together/worked together when I was in the ABC position at XYZ Company last year. I know that is has been a while since we were in contact, but I am reaching out now in hopes that through LinkedIn we can maintain our relationship, and assist each other in building our professional networks. I always look to recommend those with whom I share a connection, and would be happy to assist you wherever possible. Don’t hesitate to be in contact anytime! Thanks in advance for accepting my invite.

Best,

YOUR NAME

• XXX, I was in the audience last week when you gave a fascinating presentation to the XYZ group. Your point about [fill in the blank] was intriguing because [insert something that shows you are paying attention]. I would very much appreciate becoming a part of your network of LinkedIn connections. I am a professional with expertise in the area of [be specific] and am currently actively networking to expand my knowledge base and gain contacts in this field as I seek a new position. Of course, along the way, I hope you will contact me if there is anything I might do to be of help for you! Thank you again for your presentation, and for accepting this invitation.”

I have nearly 1,200 first degree contacts on LinkedIn, and was among the first 100,000 users (there are now more than 120 million of us). I’d be happy to share my network with you if you invite me. But if you do, please don’t use the standard “I’d like to add you to my network” language! See my profile at:www.linkedin.com/in/fertig.

NEW GRAD SPECIAL

50% of all new college grads are finding it nearly impossible to get a job! JOBHUNTERCOACH comes to the rescue with a special NEW GRAD promotion of 25% discount for graduates from classes of 2010-2013. Offer is valid until June 30, 2013 and applies to new clients only! Find out more by contacting Arnie Fertig at: fertig@jobhuntercoach.com

Other Posts of Interest

Virtually every career coach, outplacement adviser, or college career service officer will agree: the best way to get a job is to network your way into it. But that can be a tall order if you’ve been out of work for some time, or if you think of yourself as a shy or introverted person. […]

Within the past week, LinkedIn has rolled out a whole new menu system, and changed the way you can use the site for your job hunt. I’ll be covering this and more in my presentation, “THE NEW LINKEDIN”, sponsored by Career Transitions of Greater Boston, When: Tuesday June 18th, from 10:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Where: […]

I was so happy earlier this week to get this unsolicited LinkedIn recommendation from Jonathan Allen: “Arnie is an experienced Job Coach who really knows what it takes to land the interview. I gave Bose my very best resume, cover letter and follow ups, but still got a refusal. Arnie then put forward a better […]

I hope to see you at my next presentation! WHAT EVERY JOB HUNTER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT LINKEDIN Wednesday, May 22nd from 6:00-7:15pm Career Source, 186 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge MA 3rd floor of Fresh Pond Shopping Center near the Alewife T Station. There will also be an opportunity for networking along with refreshments. In […]

The spring days are getting longer and warmer, flowers are sprouting, and recent economic reports show signs that the economy is bouncing back to life at long last. This is the season when corporations move hiring into high gear. In my U.S. News & World Report article this week I speak about five season-sensitive activities […]